December 6, 2023 • 5 mins
On this episode of Christmas Merry and Bright, Raymond Arroyo, an award-winning broadcaster, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed vocalist, unveils the hidden backstory of "Faliz Navidad" and speaks with the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, José Feliciano, himself.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Raymond Arroyo, and this is a very special presentation Christmas.
Mary and Bright play backstories where we reveal the hidden
origins of some of your favorite Christmas songs. Now, this
next song is sort of a folk carol. The word
carol comes from the French meaning a circle dance with singing,
and this one makes you want to dance. It's among
(00:22):
the most popular and downloaded songs each Christmas, and it's
easy to understand why it's been hit for fifty years.
When Jose Feliciano was recording his Christmas album, Rick Gerard,
his producer, said he needed something original, but Jose wasn't
sure if he wanted to do anything original. He joins
me now on the phone, the legendary Jose Feliciano, how
(00:46):
are you, my friend?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I'm fine, Raymond. How are you? Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Great to hear your voice. How long did it take
you to write that song? And why were you hesitant?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well? I was hesitant because I thought to him myself,
how do I compete with the great Christmas carols that
are already been written? And so I gave that some
thought and I thought, well, you know, Jose, the one
(01:20):
thing about a Christmas song. It should be simple, simple
enough that people can sing it. That's what makes a
great Christmas song. I went to work and you wrote it?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And what how long? Tell people how long it took
you to write this?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, it took me about fifteen minutes, I think to
write it.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And when I did, I said, Rick, No, nobody's gonna
nobody's gonna want to play this. It's too simple. Well,
Rick said to me, don't worry, Jose. I played the cornet,
and so I know you know that I think I
(02:13):
might have something here. Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Well, and it's been an inescapable bilingual seasonal earworm ever since.
Tell people, what were you thinking, What were you envisioning
when you wrote that song? What were you trying to capture?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I was trying to capture the feelings that happened in
Puerto Rico during Christmas. And that's what happened was I
was lonely for my family. And one thing about Puerto
(02:50):
Ricans were very family oriented. Yep, and family is everything.
When you're outside of the family, you know you're not
doing so oden.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Right, Well, I love that it draws on Spanish carols.
And why do you think Falise Navidad. Jose has remained
so popular year after year. We're talking to Jose Feliciano,
the Great Jose Feliciano, of course, responsible for Falise Navidad.
For five decades, people have been singing this song. Why
is it so popular? And do you still enjoy singing it?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I still do, and I thank the Lord every day
for giving me that idea. And I'm glad. I'm really glad.
Falise Navidad is the Christmas song of all Christmas songs,
(03:57):
and I thank God for that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
No, well we do as well. Every time I hear it,
I say, come on, baby, light my carol, you know,
and you have Jose. Look, when we recorded Christmas Mary
and Bright, my new album, I discovered what you just
heard that Jose Feliciano had written Felisa Navidad about his
Christmases in Puerto Rico, caroling and celebrating with his brothers
(04:20):
and Jose. I thought it's warm in Puerto Rico at
Christmas time, kind of sultry. So I begged Jose if
we might set the song in a kind of warm,
gentle Bosan nova to start, and he agreed, and he
also agreed to sing with his brother from another mother
me before I let you go? Jose, what is your
(04:41):
favorite Christmas recording by another artist.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
And why well? I love Brenda Lee's version of rock
Down the Christmas Tree. I love that song rocking around
the Christmas breaks up.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
What do you like about it?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I love that story there was I don't know it,
just it did it for me.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Jose Feliciano, I thank you so much for being with us.
And Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Jose.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
We'll see you on the road. I'm Raymond Arroyo and
Christmas Merry and Bright. Play backstories continues on the other
side of this break
I'm Raymond Arroyo, and this is a very special presentation Christmas.
Mary and Bright play backstories where we reveal the hidden
origins of some of your favorite Christmas songs. Now, this
next song is sort of a folk carol. The word
carol comes from the French meaning a circle dance with singing,
and this one makes you want to dance. It's among
(00:22):
the most popular and downloaded songs each Christmas, and it's
easy to understand why it's been hit for fifty years.
When Jose Feliciano was recording his Christmas album, Rick Gerard,
his producer, said he needed something original, but Jose wasn't
sure if he wanted to do anything original. He joins
me now on the phone, the legendary Jose Feliciano, how
(00:46):
are you, my friend?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I'm fine, Raymond. How are you? Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Great to hear your voice. How long did it take
you to write that song? And why were you hesitant?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well? I was hesitant because I thought to him myself,
how do I compete with the great Christmas carols that
are already been written? And so I gave that some
thought and I thought, well, you know, Jose, the one
(01:20):
thing about a Christmas song. It should be simple, simple
enough that people can sing it. That's what makes a
great Christmas song. I went to work and you wrote it?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And what how long? Tell people how long it took
you to write this?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, it took me about fifteen minutes, I think to
write it.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And when I did, I said, Rick, No, nobody's gonna
nobody's gonna want to play this. It's too simple. Well,
Rick said to me, don't worry, Jose. I played the cornet,
and so I know you know that I think I
(02:13):
might have something here. Uh huh.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Well, and it's been an inescapable bilingual seasonal earworm ever since.
Tell people, what were you thinking, What were you envisioning
when you wrote that song? What were you trying to capture?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I was trying to capture the feelings that happened in
Puerto Rico during Christmas. And that's what happened was I
was lonely for my family. And one thing about Puerto
(02:50):
Ricans were very family oriented. Yep, and family is everything.
When you're outside of the family, you know you're not
doing so oden.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Right, Well, I love that it draws on Spanish carols.
And why do you think Falise Navidad. Jose has remained
so popular year after year. We're talking to Jose Feliciano,
the Great Jose Feliciano, of course, responsible for Falise Navidad.
For five decades, people have been singing this song. Why
is it so popular? And do you still enjoy singing it?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I still do, and I thank the Lord every day
for giving me that idea. And I'm glad. I'm really glad.
Falise Navidad is the Christmas song of all Christmas songs,
(03:57):
and I thank God for that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
No, well we do as well. Every time I hear it,
I say, come on, baby, light my carol, you know,
and you have Jose. Look, when we recorded Christmas Mary
and Bright, my new album, I discovered what you just
heard that Jose Feliciano had written Felisa Navidad about his
Christmases in Puerto Rico, caroling and celebrating with his brothers
(04:20):
and Jose. I thought it's warm in Puerto Rico at
Christmas time, kind of sultry. So I begged Jose if
we might set the song in a kind of warm,
gentle Bosan nova to start, and he agreed, and he
also agreed to sing with his brother from another mother
me before I let you go? Jose, what is your
(04:41):
favorite Christmas recording by another artist.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
And why well? I love Brenda Lee's version of rock
Down the Christmas Tree. I love that song rocking around
the Christmas breaks up.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
What do you like about it?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I love that story there was I don't know it,
just it did it for me.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Jose Feliciano, I thank you so much for being with us.
And Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Jose.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
We'll see you on the road. I'm Raymond Arroyo and
Christmas Merry and Bright. Play backstories continues on the other
side of this break
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